Aker Horizons has unveiled a plan to use offshore wind to produce hydrogen in quantities large enough for Scotland to export.
The Northern Horizons project, announced during COP26, will be delivered by Aker Horizons’ portfolio companies Aker Offshore Wind and Aker Clean Hydrogen, and DNV, an independent energy expert and assurance provider.
The project describes how harnessing 10GW of renewable energy in the North Sea can deliver decarbonisation targets by sending clean products to the mainland and exporting them to fuel-heavy or hard-to-abate sectors.
The plan is to use floating offshore wind turbines to produce the electricity to power multiple floating installations which will produce green hydrogen for onwards transmission to a net zero hydrogen refinery on Shetland.
The Northern Horizons initiative is a response to the Scottish Government’s stated ambition to develop Scotland’s potential to export significant quantities of hydrogen.
The government is targeting 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030 and is seeking international collaboration in the development of a shared hydrogen economy.
The project, which could start production from 2030, will deliver “predictability for a fit-for-purpose Scottish supply chain” ready to support the energy transition towards 2045 and beyond.
It will also create thousands of jobs and the investment of billions of pounds during construction and operation, Aker Horizons claimed.
“Such innovation and private sector investment are key to meeting the UK and Scotland’s net zero targets and delivering the unprecedented ambition on display here in Glasgow at COP26,” said Sian Lloyd-Rees, managing director of Aker Offshore Wind UK.
“This is a technically and economically feasible plan to deliver floating offshore wind at the scale needed to deliver clean energy products which can be used to help decarbonise fuel-heavy industries such as shipping and aviation.”
The Aker companies and DNV are now embarking on a consultation project with governments and businesses to mature the project towards a future investment decision.
Green hydrogen is produced when renewable energy is used to power the electrolysis of water.
The refinery on Shetland will produce a range of zero carbon energy solutions for local consumption and export across the world, including ammonia, liquid hydrogen, and synthetic fuels.